Evaluation of Volunteering Capabilities in an Open-Source Software Community
Date
2023-12-19
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Abstract
Open-source software is a cornerstone of modern technology. Embodying principles of transparency, collaboration, and innovation, it nurtures a vibrant ecosystem that empowers individuals, businesses, and communities. Open-source software has impacted software development significantly; the longevity of open-source projects is essential to the entire field of software development. Challenges faced by open-source software communities include the management of contributors, effective utilization of them, retention of existing contributors, and recruitment of new contributors. For projects where most contributors are volunteers – which remains the case for several projects such as Gnome, Perl, and Python – attracting and retaining volunteers becomes crucial to success. Crowston (2011) argued that because of the high mobility of knowledge workers, even paid employees require personal motivation to participate in projects. In this sense, they should also be viewed as volunteers. Numerous studies explore the dynamics of open-source communities and volunteer contributions. This research has yielded models to assess the volunteering prowess of open-source software communities, and proposed solutions to address challenges. However, most studies have taken a collective approach, encompassing multiple open-source software communities, which presents a generalized perspective. Utilizing a fusion of quantitative and qualitative techniques, this research project gauges the degree of relevance and applicability of existing theories, models, and solutions within the unique context of the Perl and Raku community. This case study offers valuable insights into the community's existing skills, capabilities, and resources available for constructive contributions to growth and development. These insights are instrumental in identifying and implementing strategies to attract and retain volunteers within the community. Conflict within communities can be a significant factor in retaining volunteers, and the latter portion of the thesis emphasizes identifying techniques to address these challenges.
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Keywords
Open-Source Software, Episodic Volunteering, Habitual Volunteering, Perl and Raku, PLSPM, Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis
Citation
Hariharan, A. (2023). Evaluation of volunteering capabilities in an open-source software community (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.